Don't Be Expecting Some Kind Of Happy Ending
by chigaijin
Summary: Being on a team is one thing. Being in a relationship is another. And being /next/ to a relationship… A story of trust and of loss, told to someone who might need to hear it. [Another STRQ fic, trying to put together a backstory of the Rose / Xiao Long / Branwen household without using Flown North (Summer/Qrow). Canon-compliant through Volume 6, no direct spoilers past Volume 4.]
1. Prologue

_"Hey."_

 _"…!"_

 _"Whoa, whoa. Easy there, kid. I'm not gonna hurt you."_

 _"…"_

 _"…Hey, good on you for not saying 'I'm not a kid.' Cause, you know, nothing makes you sound more like a kid—"_

 _"What are you doing here?"_

 _"I like to check in on my girls from time to time. And their friends. Especially after…well. Something like that."_

 _"I don't need your help."_

 _Qrow smirked. "Maybe not, but I'm giving it to you anyway."_

 _"…"_

 _"Look, I know a safe place you can stay for the night. Quiet, too."_

 _"You're not…going to send me back?"_

 _"Would you go?"_

 _"…"_

 _"That's what I thought."_

 _"…Fine."_

 _"But still. When we get there, I've got a story to tell you."_


	2. Beacon: Part I

It was a bright and sunny day out, and Summer and Tai had gone into Vale to get supplies for their upcoming mission. Raven had declined to go with them, and Qrow…

Qrow was sitting at his desk, staring at the notebook in front of him, and wishing that whoever had thought up the idea of "mini-essays" could be spontaneously quizzed on their "landing strategy". A practical exam, of course.

At least it was a bright and sunny day out. He hated those.

* * *

 _"I've heard people call_ me _emo, but that's just overdoing it."_

 _"Shut up and let me tell the story."_

* * *

Qrow glared at the measly sentences at the top of the page, then sighed and picked up his pen once more. Before he could, though, he felt the back of his neck prickle, and a wave of uneasiness swept through him.

"Raven," he said without turning around. "Stop staring at me."

The feeling remained.

Qrow sighed, and set his pen down again before turning around in his chair. "What?" he said grumpily.

"Nothing," Raven answered in the same voice. As he had known, his sister was sitting in her bed staring in his direction. She had her sword out of its scabbard with a rag in her other hand, heedless of what the cleaning might do to her sheets. It was a familiar sight, despite Summer's grumbling about "no weapons work in the dorm"; cleaning had eventually been deemed an exception to that rule, a compromise between the two women.

But today both the sword and rag were resting on Raven's knees, and she was staring at Qrow, making it absolutely impossible to get any work done.

"It's clearly _not_ nothing," he grumbled, "so let's just talk about it and get it over with. I need to focus." He leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head.

"Oh, like you ever do your homework on time," Raven replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, so what do you think this is?" Qrow jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Essay number 8 of 12, before the end of term. As in, _tomorrow."_

Raven's face flickered with equal parts apology and amusement before returning to its stoic default. But, Qrow noticed, there was something intense in her eyes, intense and…apprehensive? Whatever this was, Raven was serious about it.

He sighed and lowered his hands to his lap, tried to put a smile on his face. "What is it, Rae?"

Uncharacteristically, she avoided his eye contact. "Tai asked me out yesterday."

For a moment Qrow froze. It wasn't like this was such a surprising turn of events—they'd all seen how Tai was hanging on to Raven's words more and more, and how she'd even, slowly, started reciprocating the attention. But for Raven, of all people, to be wrestling with indecision…

Qrow struggled not to laugh, but saw his sister's face harden anyway. "And?" he said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

Raven's expression continued to darken, then she looked away. "And I told him I'd think about it."

Qrow raised his eyebrows. _"That's_ new," he said. "You're into him, right?"

Raven gave him a look, the one that meant _"of course I am, but if you try to force me to say it outright I'll break your arm"._ Qrow had been on the receiving end enough times that it was more informative than threatening by now.

"So what's the problem?" he went on. "I mean, I know you usually like to do the asking…"

"It's different," Raven answered, not meeting his eyes.

Qrow scratched his head. "Well, yeah, it's different here, but that hasn't stopped you before, right?" Raven may not have been as, well, _promiscuous_ at Beacon as he had, but he was pretty sure she hadn't exactly been celibate either.

 _"No,_ Qrow." Her tone was frustrated. "It's…different." She pulled her shoulders in and hunched over, looking down at her sword.

A slow smile grew on Qrow's face. "Ra~ven," he said in a singsong. "You actually _like_ him."

"Shut. Up."

Qrow shook his head. "Look, you're making a big deal out of nothing," he said. "If you like him, just say yes. Go on the date."

"It's not that simple!" Raven burst out. "He's not one of us." She looked down again and then shook herself.

Qrow knew what she meant. The brash, young Taiyang Xiao Long couldn't really have any idea what life was like in the Branwen Tribe. The twins had been carefully circumspect about their lives growing up, not to mention the… _activities_ that were necessary for the group's survival. Qrow suspected the other two members of their team would be less than understanding if they knew he and Raven still planned to return to that life.

But all that aside…

"No," he acknowledged. "He's not. But neither is Summer." Raven turned her head away sharply again, and Qrow went on. "And look, now she's your best friend, and you're hers. You told me that yourself."

"That's…" Raven stopped herself and tried again. "That's already one connection I have outside the Tribe. I can't afford to make any more."

"That's a load of crap, and you shouldn't let it stop you," Qrow scoffed. "Ah—!" He held up a finger as Raven opened her mouth; she glared at him and closed it again. "Going on a date with this guy isn't some kind of betrayal. Hell, even a long-term relationship isn't a betrayal. Rhydderch's husband lives in Mistral, right?"

"And of all people, why did it have to be Taiyang Xiao Long?" Raven went on, and Qrow knew he had won. "The guy who can't go fifteen minutes without telling a joke. The guy who tried punching a tree barehanded to see how much Aura he had left. The guy who eats his french fries with _ketchup!"_

"Everybody eats their french fries with ketchup," Qrow replied exasperatedly, momentarily derailed. "It's just you who doesn't like that!"

"Ketchup is what you get if you asked someone to make a tomato sauce and that person _doesn't like tomatoes."_

Qrow groaned. "You've said that before and it didn't make any sense then either!" he complained, then saw a hint of a smirk on his sister's face. He shook his head and waved a hand in dismissal. _"Anyway,_ he's a guy who tries to make you smile, _and_ a guy who can keep up with you in a fight. Sounds like a pretty good match to me."

Raven paused. "Hang on. Why are _you_ trying to talk _me_ into this? What happened to your whole 'the world bores me' thing?"

"Hm?"

Qrow tilted his head. Why _was_ he trying to talk her into it? Raven's concerns about their different backgrounds and their post-graduation plans weren't unfounded, and neither of them had brought up what it might do to their team dynamic. And yet…

"Relentless self-interest," he finally said, adding a smirk for effect. "I just don't want to deal with the two of you moping around for weeks because you didn't go on a date you both wanted." Easily he lifted an arm and snatched the pillow he had known Raven would throw at his face. "And because I know you, Rae, and you _do_ want to go on this date."

Raven sighed, then swung her legs off the bed. "It's not going to be easy," she warned, as much to herself as to Qrow.

"We never were ones for doing things the easy way," Qrow replied, feeling a rueful smile rise to his face.

Raven stood and stretched, then looked over at the desk. "Case in point?"

Qrow groaned again and slowly turned his chair back around. Behind him, he heard Raven pick up her gear, and looked up once more to see her heading for the door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"Qrow?" she said, looking at him. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Thanks for the advice."

Qrow smiled. "Any time, sis. Any time."

* * *

 _Author's note: If Remnant can have Brussels sprouts then it can have French fries._

 _Planned updates on weekends. The story is already fully written, so there shouldn't be an issue. Watch for double updates roughly every three chapters._


	3. Beacon: Part II

"Okay, that's all we have time for today," said Professor Dill, tapping his hooves lightly against the ground. "Please turn in your feedback for MICA and LZLI at my office as usual. And remember, we're all on the same side here—not counting the Vytal Festival, that is!"

Right on cue, the bell rang, and the students in the auditorium began to stand up and file out. Down on the stage, MICA and LZLI were brushing themselves off and giving each other slaps on the back after their match. Qrow had his eye in particular on the fourth letter of the visiting MICA, a tall woman who'd _piqued his interest_ a few classes back. He slipped past his classmates to catch her at the door. "Akane! Loved the sweep."

The Huntress-in-training turned towards Qrow. "Oh, thanks! Marina 'n' I came up with that one when our team came across a whole pack of Boarbatusks. Turns out tripwires work pretty well on humans as well." She grinned at him.

"I'll have to try it out sometime," Qrow agreed. He gave her his #3 Charismatic Smirk. "I bet there's a lot I can learn from you."

Akane leaned forward slightly, bringing her face closer to his. "You thinking about some _hands-on lessons?"_ she teased. "Even when you've already got so much _experience?"_

Qrow put on an over-exaggerated look of innocence. "How else am I going to _improve?"_ he countered, raising his eyebrows.

The older student laughed—

"Qrow. We need to talk."

"Eh?" Akane's eyes flickered away from Qrow's face to someone standing behind him.

With a mental sigh Qrow turned his head to see Tai standing a few paces away. Behind him, Raven was arguing with another classmate about something—probably the match. "What's going—"

"Shhh!" Tai interrupted. "Not here!" He glanced back over his shoulder uncomfortably, and Qrow suddenly noticed how tense his teammate looked. Especially for someone he usually thought of as perpetually relaxed.

Qrow looked back at Akane, but she had already stepped away. She waggled her Scroll at him before continuing to head back to the dorms.

"Great. Thanks a lot," he grumbled to the other Huntsman-in-training.

"Oh, whatever, you're still going to sleep with her," Tai said impatiently. "Come on."

"'Come on'?" Qrow echoed.

Frustrated, Tai grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out into the hallway. Qrow barely had time to glance over his shoulder and catch a bewildered look from Raven. He did his best to shrug helplessly at his sister as he stumbled after Tai.

His teammate led him to a stairwell, and Qrow pulled his arm free. "Where are we _going?"_ he asked grumpily.

"The practice rooms," Tai answered.

"You do realize they're all gonna be full right now, right?" Tai's eyes widened, and Qrow put a hand to his forehead long-sufferingly. "Look, let's just go down to the dining hall. There's probably no one there right now."

Tai's face cleared. "Yeah, you're right. Come on." Without waiting, he charged into the stairwell. Qrow sighed and followed.

There actually _were_ a trio of students hanging out in the dining hall. Tai had stopped in the side entrance, dismayed, but Qrow kept walking to the opposite end of the room, and his teammate reluctantly followed.

Neither one of them sat down. Tai was clearly still nervous about whatever he wanted to talk about, avoiding eye contact and shifting from foot to foot. Qrow leaned against the end of the nearest table and folded his arms. "So," he said, deliberately, "what is it you need to talk to me about that's worth ripping my arm off for up there?"

Tai flushed and clutched his own left arm with his right hand. Qrow frowned. "C'mon, Tai. Spit it out. This isn't like you."

Tai took a breath. "It's about Raven."

"I see," responded Qrow. The vague worries he had started to imagine— _I'm leaving the team,_ or _Professor Daisy said to tell you you failed the final,_ or _Summer and I know everything—_ suddenly dissipated, and he couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto his face. "What about her?"

There was a flicker of anger in Tai's eyes at Qrow's lighter tone. "Look, I need your help. I want to take things to the next level."

Qrow immediately raised his hands, palms out. "Whoa, what you two are or aren't doing is none of my business."

This time it was Tai who put a hand to his forehead. "Not that, you lascivious…" Qrow was mildly surprised to see that he said it without a trace of a blush.

"That's fancier than what I usually get called," he responded, smirking. "But that's good to hear. After this many dates I'd be worried if you two weren't."

"I thought you just said it was none of your business!" Tai burst out indignantly. _Now_ his ears started reddening, and Qrow mentally awarded himself a check mark for Wednesday.

"All right, then what is it?" he said, resisting the urge to tease his teammate further.

Tai struggled for a moment. "I just don't want to mess this up," he said finally.

Qrow sighed. "You're not gonna mess things up, Tai," he said, waving a hand. "Seriously, where is this coming from? From what I hear your dates are going fine."

Tai gave him a look. "I'm going to ignore that 'from what I hear'," he said dryly, but his annoyance quickly gave way to anxiety once more. He actually began pacing, and Qrow couldn't help but roll his eyes. "That's what I'm talking about, though. It's just dates."

Qrow inclined his head slightly. "Does it bother you that she's still gone on dates with other people?" he suggested.

"It's not like we're exclusive," Tai muttered, not looking up.

"Come on, Tai." Qrow rolled his eyes again. "When, in your life, have you _ever_ not been exclusive?"

The other Huntsman blushed again, but he also stopped pacing. "Look, I couldn't care less what we call it. And I get that things are different where you grew up. I can deal with that. It's that…Raven's important to me. And I want to be important to her too. I want to be there for her. She inspires me, frankly." He sighed. "I don't know if this is something that's going to last forever…but I feel like it might be. It's different from being teammates, and I think it's worth pursuing that." The short speech seemed to exhaust the young man, and he hung his head slightly. "I just want her to know that."

"Well, maybe you should tell her directly," a voice came from around the side of the table.

Tai jumped, and only long experience with his sister kept Qrow from doing the same. "What kind of storybook romance nonsense—?" he complained, throwing his hands in the air. "We were having a private conversation! And how the _hell_ did you sneak up on us?"

Raven _preened;_ there was no other word for it. "A girl's got to have her secrets," she said offhandedly, then walked past Qrow to pat Tai on the shoulder. "Close your mouth, dear."

Tai shut his jaw with a snap.

Qrow held out a hand, palm up. "She called you 'dear'. Everything's fine. And look on the bright side: now you don't have to psych yourself up, find my sister, and say, all serious-like…" He cleared his throat and tried to imitate Tai's accent. "'We need to talk.'"

"Okay, okay," said Tai, but he was staring at Raven as he said it, a silly smile having crawled onto his face while Qrow spoke.

Qrow smiled too, then frowned. "Actually, there is one other thing."

"Hm?" Tai said, distracted.

Qrow glanced pointedly at Raven, who rolled her eyes and walked back around to the far end of the table. _Not actually out of earshot, but it's the gesture that counts._ He turned back to Tai.

"What about Summer?" he asked quietly.

For the first time in the conversation Tai looked uncomfortable. Not the apprehensive nervousness he'd shown before; actually uncomfortable.

"Summer is great," he said at last. "I can see how we could have ended up together. If things had gone differently, I mean." Tai's eyes flicked over to Qrow's sister, clearly just as aware as Qrow that she would be listening regardless. "That's not a slight against Raven, by the way. I mean, you just heard me say how I feel about her."

Qrow felt a childish urge to make a gagging sound and suppressed it. "Of course," he said instead. "But you know this is going to be hard on her."

"Yeah." Tai ran a hand his through his hair. "But she and Raven talked it out. They're partners, after all. And we're all still on a team together."

Qrow blinked. "Of course they did," he said, feeling like a fool.

"Of course we did," Raven echoed from her spot several feet away. "You men are useless without us."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Private…conversation!" he called without turning around, and pictured Raven rolling her own eyes in turn. He shook his head. "All right, on your heads be it. And…I'm happy for you two."

He heard Raven make a gagging sound, and Tai laughed, holding out his hand. "Thank you, Qrow."

Qrow took the hand, and was surprised when his teammate pulled him into a hug. But it was only a moment before he hugged back.

* * *

 _A/N: I didn't originally plan to have things go this way,_ _but then Raven popped up in my head and told me there was no way on Remnant she wasn't going to_ _follow Qrow and Tai after their very conspicuous exit upstairs. I told her how tropey it was and she just blew me off. At least she got to sneak up on them. I'm not sure how she did it either; that dining hall is pretty open._


	4. Beacon: Part III

Qrow climbed the spiraling wooden staircase up the inside of the tower. Not the main tower, of course; _that_ one had an elevator like any sensible architect would include in this day and age. But no one actually _used_ these old watchtowers for anything, and so they were never given more than the most cursory design. So it was stairs.

A stray thought crossed his mind as he passed the fourth floor, and he grimaced. _What if she decided to change things up this time?_ If she had gone to the northeast tower instead of the southeast, it would be a long walk back down, and then another five flights up the other side. In practice that meant he'd've missed his chance.

But no, the rooftop trapdoor was already open, and Qrow blinked as he poked his head out into the reddening predawn sky. As he expected, the tower was deserted, save for the single young woman sitting sideways on the broad parapet, her white cloak dyed orange in the morning light.

Summer turned her head as he climbed the rest of the way up to the landing, but did nothing but swing her legs around to the roof and jump down. Qrow strode up to stand next to her, and together they watched the sun finally emerge from the valley cutting through the mountains.

Once the disk of the sun was fully visible above the jagged horizon Summer let out a quiet sigh. "This is the best time of year for this," she said, still looking out to the east. "In another month or so it'll be coming up behind the mountains instead."

Qrow let that statement hang comfortably for a moment, then turned to lean against the parapet, facing his team leader. "I thought I'd find you here."

The opening was unnecessary and they both knew it. Summer didn't come here every morning, but the team knew that it was one of her calming rituals, a way to start the day off right. They knew that if they woke up and she wasn't in her bed, they'd still see her in the dining hall for breakfast.

Lately her bed had been empty quite a bit.

And so Qrow dragged himself out of bed at an hour he rarely saw at Beacon, dragged himself up five flights of stairs, so he could say—

"Talk to me, Summer."

She gave a resigned laugh, still facing outward. "Has everyone noticed, then?"

If it had been Tai, Qrow would have thrown it back at him. _Of course we noticed. We're your teammates. We care about you._

But this was Summer, and she didn't need that kind of attitude. And besides, she already knew.

She sighed, then pulled her hood back and looked up at him. "I really want to be happy for them."

Qrow couldn't stop from barking a laugh, and Summer's face fell as if he had punched her. "Sorry, sorry," he said quickly, raising his hands. "It's just…most people would be thinking about _themselves,_ in this sort of situation."

Summer looked at him sadly. "Do you really believe that?"

Qrow found himself without an answer. Even after several semesters together as a team, the depths of Summer's _goodness_ still took him by surprise.

His teammate turned back to the rising sun, her left hand now balled into a fist as she rested it on the wall. "It just…hurts," she murmured. "It'd be so much easier for everyone involved if it just went away." Then she seemed to catch herself, looking up at him. "I mean, on a scale of 1 to Lifelong Scarring Trauma, it's like a 5 at most, even if it does spike up to 7 sometimes—"

"Summer," Qrow interrupted, trying to smile gently at her. "I get it. Trust me, I've been there."

He saw her eyes light up with hope, saw the change a second later as she hated herself for it. "How did you make it go away?" she asked flatly, after a pause, and Qrow knew she had been deciding whether to ask it at all.

But this was Summer, who out of the four of them was most in touch with her feelings. The one who actually went to the school therapist on a regular basis, who was so matter-of-fact about it that Tai had started signing up for sessions too. Of course she was going to ask, even if she already had an idea of the answer.

Qrow ran a hand through his hair. "Well, you can't help but see them every day," he acknowledged, "so your best bet's going to be finding someone else who catches your eye."

"While I've got all these feelings for someone else?" Summer responded incredulously.

Qrow gave her a light smirk. "That's pretty much how I reacted when someone told that to me. It's a great trick if it works, but I never saw how you could do it on purpose."

"Well, you're no help at all." Summer turned back to the mountains once more, but Qrow could see a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, that Ashby guy is pretty hot," he teased. "You know, the one from History class? I'm just sayin'…"

"You mean the one you hooked up with last semester?" She punched him lightly in the side, and then they were both laughing.

"So you're okay with this?" Qrow asked, once the moment had passed.

His teammate gave a sigh, but her face was light as she took a step away from the wall. "I am. Raven and Tai are two of the most important people to me, and seeing them happy makes me happy. That's still true even…" She waved a hand. "You know."

Qrow shook his head. "You're an amazing person, Summer."

Summer's smile turned into a knowing grin. "You say that, Qrow, but on this one I know you'd feel the same in my place."

Again she had managed to catch Qrow off-guard. He considered it for a moment, and was surprised to realize she was right.

Summer was turning, as if to leave the roof, but suddenly stopped. "And Raven?" she asked, looking back. "She's my best friend. I'm not going to lose her over this, am I?"

Qrow snorted. "She wouldn't have cared if you slept with him."

Summer turned red, and Qrow quickly tried to fix the hilarious image in his mind so he'd remember it forever. "W-what?" she stammered.

He deliberately gave her a dismissive look. "Everyone from Vale gets so possessive. Raven understands that Tai's his own person and can do what he wants."

Summer blinked, not having fully recovered yet. "Does _Tai_ understand that about _Raven?"_

Qrow frowned. "It's nice of you to worry, but we do know things are different here," he replied, his tone serious. "And yes, they've talked about it. Didn't _you_ already talk about this with Raven?"

Summer groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. "I screwed up again. I shouldn't have _assumed_ —"

"No, you shouldn't have," Qrow agreed, relaxing a bit. "But like _you_ always say, we are allowed mistakes. And you're not wrong to worry about it in some form. At least, I was too." He smirked. "Too bad for you Tai's not like that."

It took a moment, but then she blushed again, giving the lining of his cloak some competition. Qrow's smile widened and he leaned back against the wall, wishing he could whistle to complete the image. He had a huge amount of respect for Summer, respect she'd earned over the team's time together. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy teasing her every now and then too.

"Qrow?" Summer said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"

Qrow raised his eyebrows slightly. "Sure, Sum."

She took a few steps back towards him. "Why haven't _you_ ever asked me out?"

Her tone had a hint of genuine curiosity, and was casual enough that Qrow was only put a little off-balance. Still, he raised a hand to scratch behind his head. "That's an astute question, I suppose," he said, trying to put his thoughts in order.

Summer gave him her own version of his smirk. "When a boy's slept with maybe half the school, a girl starts to wonder," she drawled, imitating Raven's swaggering way of talking.

Qrow couldn't help but grin at that, then dropped the smile to answer seriously. "Summer, you're talented, smart, and beautiful. You'd be quite a partner. But you and everybody else know I'm not looking for something serious, and I could tell from the beginning you're not really into the casual thing." He frowned. "And besides, we're on a team together. If we weren't both 100% sure about it, things could get messy later on—and I'm not just talking about our friendship. We're training to be Hunters. We need to be sure we have each others' backs."

Summer nodded, accepting his explanation. "And you're not worried about this with Tai and Raven?" she asked.

Qrow let the frown fade and gave a broad shrug. "I am. But it's their choice to make." A thought struck him and he looked back at Summer. _"You_ don't sound worried about that at all."

"Well…" Summer smiled hesitantly. "All else being equal, I've heard that you know when to go for a relationship when your feelings start to override your logical arguments against. And I think Tai and Raven are around that point."

Qrow raised his eyebrows again. "Huh. Maybe they are."

"Anyway." She took a few more steps back in his direction. "Thanks for coming up to talk to me. It means a lot."

"Of course," said Qrow, trying to make it sound as reassuring as possible.

Summer sighed and shook her head. "I'm the leader. Shouldn't I be the one talking to others about their feelings?"

"Hey, whoa." Qrow pushed himself away from the wall with his hands. "First of all, you do do that. Second, just because you're the leader doesn't mean you stop being a person." He hesitated, then reached out and gripped her shoulder.

"Thanks, Qrow," she said again, dipping her head. She stepped over next to him and reached up to give him a quick side hug, and together they started walking back to the stairs. Overhead, the morning sky continued to brighten into day.


	5. Interlude I

_"So that's the story, then? 'It was hard having all this drama, but because we were all_ such reasonable people _we figured it out?'"_

 _"Hey, now hold on a second. You know how this all turns out, so don't be expecting some kind of happy ending."_

 _"…"_

 _"Look. You might still be a kid, but you're not much younger than we were. You're old enough to be making your own decisions…and to face the consequences."_

 _"You don't know me. You don't know what decisions I've already had to make."_

 _"I know more than you think. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're in no shape to wash dishes, let alone leave the kingdom."_

 _"I never said I was—"_

 _"Seriously? What do you take me for?"_

 _"…"_

 _"Now why don't you just sit back and listen to the rest of the story? Then you can get some rest, and tomorrow you'll be on your way."_


	6. Vale: Part I

Qrow gave the screwdriver one more twist, then lifted the sword off the table. With a sudden move he activated the scythe mode, the hilt extending into a long sturdy handle as the blade smoothly slid apart into its curved, articulated form.

And that was the problem. It was _supposed_ to go one segment at a time, with a jolt that had knocked Summer off her feet the first time he had let her try it. It wasn't just for show, either—trying to do all the segments at once led to a blade that would collapse back to a straight line if the tip got stuck. A sword was one thing, a scythe was another, but a right angle was just a blade on a stick, and not one he could put any muscle behind. _Although maybe a javelin form…_

At the moment Qrow was in his own small second-floor apartment in Vale, and one of the advantages of having his own place was that he could strew his tools all across his kitchen table to work on his weapon without anyone complaining. As close as Team STRQ had become while still at Beacon, four years of sharing a dorm room was enough for any of them. Qrow had gotten an apartment right in the middle of town, which made it easy to walk back from the bars. Summer was back at home, saving her Lien like a responsible young woman.

Tai and Raven, astonishingly, had decided to move in together, finding a place on the other side of the river only a stone's throw from the edge of the city. Raven made no secret of the fact that she spent many of her days outside the city walls even when not out on a mission—not that the other three members of the team expected anything else.

Qrow collapsed the scythe back to a sword, and only then did he notice his Scroll ringing. It was one of the fancy new flatscreen models, something he never would have bought for himself but which he was perfectly happy to lord over Tai. _Reconnaissance photography,_ he remembered the official justification being.

And speaking of Tai…

"Yeah," he said, picking up the Scroll with his free hand.

"Qrow, we were supposed to meet at the station at 1," Tai said without any preamble.

"Yeah," replied Qrow, wondering what was going on. "That's in…"

The clock on his wall said 1:15.

He set the sword down to put a hand to his forehead. "Sorry, Tai, I got caught up in…"

His teammate cut him off. "Don't worry, I planned for this."

Something about the way Tai said that sounded suspicious. Or, no, it wasn't the _way_ he said it…

Qrow looked over just as the door to his apartment swung open, revealing Tai in his usual leather combat gear. Still holding his Scroll, the blond man grinned cheekily before hanging up.

Qrow sighed and tucked his own Scroll into a pocket. "You got me," he admitted, looking down at the still-misbehaving sword sitting innocuously on the table.

Tai closed the door and crossed to Qrow's side of the room. "What's wrong with it this time?" he asked, clearly humoring his partner.

Qrow answered anyway. "Scythe form's not sticking. Must've been that Hartless that hacked all over it last week."

Tai winced sympathetically. "Now that was a fiasco. I think even Raven regrets getting us into that one."

"She doesn't know the meaning of the word 'regret'," Qrow replied, his tone a bit more acid than he'd usually use for teasing his sister. _It's entirely her fault we ended up having to brawl our way out instead of just sneaking away. And now my scythe's not working._ "Well, she does, but only so she can induce it in others."

Tai laughed obligingly, then put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the arm of the couch. "Well, we've still got a bit of time before the airship gets here. Go ahead and finish it off."

"Glad I have your permission," Qrow said dryly, already inserting the screwdriver into the second segment of the sword.

"Hey, I _am_ second-in-command of Team STRQ, you know," Tai quipped. "It's right there in the name." An old joke at this point, but the familiarity made it comfortable.

As Qrow moved on to the next segment of the sword, however, he realized that something was off. Tai was jiggling his leg, and alternately looking at Qrow and then looking away. This was the man who usually treated these search-and-destroy missions as casually as going to the movies. That meant something was up, something his teammate _wanted_ to tell him but felt nervous bringing up.

"Spit it out, Tai," he said finally, watching his partner practically vibrate off the couch arm.

Tai looked startled for a moment, then grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "I should have known I couldn't hide it from you."

Qrow mentally rolled his eyes at the weak delaying tactic. "What is it?"

"All right." Tai's face became serious. "Raven's pregnant."

Qrow went still. He nodded slowly, not wanting to commit to a particular reaction until he'd heard the rest of it.

Thankfully, Tai's serious visage cracked, and a wide grin split his face. "And she's keeping it. We're gonna raise it on Patch together."

"Tai, that's great!" Qrow left the screwdriver sticking out of the sword and grabbed his friend in a hug, eliciting a startled gasp. "Congratulations to both of you."

"Thanks, Qrow." Tai sounded surprised but pleased. Well, maybe Qrow wasn't usually one for excitement or physical gestures, but that was because so few things were really worth celebrating. New life—and new family? That was one of those things.

"So what're you gonna name 'em?" he asked teasingly, pulling back from the embrace.

Tai rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the grin remained. "Obviously it's still early. We've barely talked about it."

"But…?" Qrow prompted.

His friend blushed slightly. "Well…I've always kind of wanted a Junior, you know? Like I always thought that'd be a nice family tradition."

"Aw, Tai!" Qrow mock-groaned and turned back to his sword. "That's like the most arrogant thing you can do, naming your kid after yourself."

"No it's not!" his friend said indignantly. "It's a connection; it goes both ways. Besides, it's _my_ parents who chose the name, so it's not really like I'm praising myself."

Qrow shook his head and got to adjusting the second-to-last segment of the sword. "And what does Raven think about all this?"

"Honestly, she didn't seem to care about the first name," Tai answered, shrugging. "For the family name, though…well, it's funny, actually, how we both came in preferring the other's name."

"Oh?" Qrow tried to keep his tone casual. He knew where Raven's preference came from; it was a serious thing for both of the twins.

"It's just a pain sometimes having a two-word family name, you know?" Tai went on. "But Raven wouldn't hear of it. She said 'Branwen' wasn't really a family name at all; it's your tribe. And since this baby's not being raised in the tribe…" He shrugged.

"That makes sense," Qrow said mildly. It might have been a problem if Tai had pushed harder, but it sounded like that wasn't going to be an issue. Besides, this was between the two of them; Qrow didn't need to pry. Tai was a big boy.

"Anyway, we're already looking for a real home on Patch." Tai pushed himself away from the couch and came over to the table. "The place here in town is convenient and all, but it ain't no way to raise a family."

Qrow finished up the last segment of the sword. "Summer'll be disappointed to have us all spread out, but I guess that's the way it goes." _And I'm sure Raven's on the same page with this one. She's never liked cities._

He grasped the hilt and lifted his weapon off the table. "Stand back."

Tai obediently took a step backward. Once again, Qrow activated the sword's transformation, swinging it around as it reformed into its scythe mode. This time, the segments locked into place one-by-one, as designed.

"Well?" prompted Tai.

Qrow grunted. "Good enough for today's work, but I'm gonna have to take it apart and do it over soon enough."

"Well, you _reap what you sow,"_ Tai offered, smirking. Qrow groaned, and his teammate shrugged. "Hey, I'd be more sympathetic if I didn't know how much you enjoy that kind of thing. Now, come on, are we doing this?"

"All right, all right." Shaking his head again, Qrow collapsed the scythe back to a sword and then down to the compact bundle meant for carrying on his back. "Let's get going."

On the way out Qrow paused once more at the door. "Hey, Tai?" His friend turned towards him. "Congratulations. Really."

"Thanks, Qrow," Tai answered, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Now let's go make the world a better place for my kid." He grinned.

* * *

 _A/N: A "Hartless" is a fanmade Grimm by Shadowpool95, who runs the incorrect-strq-quotes Tumblr that's helped shape this story. You can see her drawing of one as post_ _167279474368 (don't feel like fighting FF's link restrictions right now)._ _She has her own STRQ story over on AO3 called "Invicta"._


	7. Vale: Part II

Today was one of the worse days.

Call it a flare-up. Whether it was the bad luck or just the chemicals in his head, some days were worse than others, and then once night came the dark thoughts would spin around, closing off any chance of sleep. At one point alcohol had helped as a soporific, but all too soon his body had built up a tolerance. Now it was just a way of dulling those thoughts.

It was 2 AM, and Qrow was sitting at his kitchen table with a glass of ale, laying out playing cards in a line under the dim yellow glow of the overhead light. He could tell it wasn't a terrible night because he hadn't forgone the glass entirely in favor of the bottle, but that was little comfort.

 _The bandits outnumbered them five to one, but only a few had their Auras unlocked. Without Raven, though, the team had to adjust their strategy, and it was clear they were suffering for it._

 _"Fireball!" Summer called, and Tai launched himself forward, Qrow following just a second behind—_

They had come out all right, of course they had, but it was a near thing that time. Tai's anxiousness to get back to Raven and Yang had led to recklessness, and Summer chewed him out for it afterwards, actually shouting at the man. When Qrow tried to get her to calm down, she snapped at him as well. Being Summer, she made sure to apologize for it before they split up to go home, but even then the strain in her voice was evident.

They'd all be back together soon enough, just like the last time they'd argued. At least, that's what Qrow told himself. But it was still enough fodder for the dark thoughts in his mind, his only company on most nights like this. Whether it was the life of a Huntsman or his own reserved nature post-graduation, the other three members of his team were his only close connections these days—his only real family. _Family…_

So it was a surprise when he heard a knock from outside the apartment. He looked up from his game of solitaire, then set down his glass and stood. Only one person would show up in the middle of the night this way without calling ahead, and besides, he could sense the aftereffects of her means of travel.

Raven was standing there when he opened the door, a pack slung over her shoulder. Qrow's sister was never one for cheerful expressions, but something was still more serious than usual.

Of course, she _was_ here at 2 in the morning. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure out that something was up.

Raven pushed past him into the little apartment, then let her pack fall to the ground before lowering herself onto the couch. Qrow shut the door and turned around. "Tai kick you out of bed or something?"

He regretted the joke as soon as it was out of his mouth, but it would have been awkward to apologize. Instead he met Raven's momentary glare and then looked down.

But Raven's ire faded away quickly, and Qrow knew something was really wrong. She looked _worn,_ a look that he rarely saw on his powerful, prideful sister. He heard her take a breath, but no words came from her mouth.

With a sigh, Qrow walked back over to his table and began stacking up the cards. "What is it, Rae? What are you here at 2 in the morning to tell me?"

The silence stretched. Qrow glanced up to see that she wasn't looking at him. Her rigid self-control meant that she wasn't clenching her hands, or playing with the straps of her pack, but he could see the tension in the stiffness of her back.

"'As if you'd be sleeping at 2 AM,'" he said to break the silence, imitating her usual sardonic tone. "'I'd more likely expect you to be asleep at 2 in the after—'"

"I'm leaving," Raven interrupted.

 _But you just got here,_ Qrow barely, _barely_ kept himself from saying.

He folded his arms. "Ozpin has another mission for you, eh? That bastard couldn't wait until Yang learned to crawl?"

"Qrow." The hardness in her voice forced him into silence. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then Raven continued. "I'm _leaving,"_ she said again. "I'm going back."

"Back?" The echo slipped out of his mouth before he had even processed her words. Then his eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"I was hoping you'd come too." The words spilled from her mouth with uncharacteristic uncertainty and haste. "I understand that you wouldn't want to leave on the drop of a feather, but maybe in a few months—"

"Raven, are you out of your mind?" Qrow burst out. His sudden movement sent the remainder of the ale sloshing out of the glass, joining the handful of other faded mottles on the carpet. "You're thinking about going _back?_ After everything we've been through? Everything we've seen?"

"I'm not _thinking_ about it." Raven's eyes flashed. "It was always limited, this…excursion of ours. We've stayed away long enough."

Qrow set his glass down on the counter to stop himself from breaking it, either from gripping it too tightly or throwing it against the wall. "After everything we've seen," he repeated. "You know what's out there, now, what we're _really_ fighting against. And you're just gonna abandon us."

Raven let out a sharp, mirthless laugh. "Yes, I've seen what's out there. And I'm doing what any sane individual would do: I'm walking away. I'm not going to participate in this folly any longer." She looked away. "This isn't a war. It's suicide."

"You have a _family,"_ Qrow roared, not caring if he woke up his neighbors. "You have a _daughter,_ Raven!"

He saw her flinch at that, but it was just a moment, and then her shoulders were firm. "Yes," she said resolutely, _"we_ have a family."

"That's not what I meant, and you know—"

"We made a promise, Qrow!" Raven shouted, overpowering him. "We made a promise when we left to never betray the Tribe." She was standing now, facing him and breathing hard, and probably didn't even realize her hand was on her sword. "I still remember that promise. Do you?"

Qrow raised a hand in objection, not wanting to admit that she had gotten to him. "Circumstances change. And besides, anyone's free to leave the Tribe if they want."

"Oh, so that's what you're doing?" Raven said, accusation plainly visible on her face. But there was also a hint of…condescension? Disappointment?

Qrow bit back a reflexive response. The words had just come out of his mouth, but did he really mean it? Was he really ready to turn his back on the group that had raised them, the group that had given them everything they had and taught them everything they knew before coming to Beacon?

Had he already done so?

Meanwhile Raven was turning and picking up her pack. "I thought you were still one of us," she said. "I thought I could rely on you. I guess I was wrong." She jerked the pack over her shoulder. "Tell Yang to come find me when she grows up."

And even knowing how unfair she was being, that hurt. They were twins. They'd grown up together, relied on each other their entire lives. That connection had changed at Beacon, but in some ways it had even grown stronger, with Qrow and Raven serving as the other's only link to home.

And something told Qrow that if there had been a moment where he could have persuaded his sister to stay, that moment had passed.

Still he had to try. "Promise me you'll be around for Yang," he said to her back. _Your abilities let you travel miles as if they were nothing._ "Promise me you'll still be a part of this family."

Slowly, Raven turned partway and looked over her shoulder, meeting his eyes. "I've broken enough promises already."

And with that she opened the door and strode outside, her pace heavy but resolute. Qrow watched the door close, and a few minutes later heard the rustle of feathers, and then the night's stillness returning.

He sunk into his chair. His mind was spinning.

 _What…what happens now?_


	8. Vale: Part III

It was raining, a gloomy early spring rain that would convince most of Patch to stay indoors. The kind of day where adults might make hot chocolate for the kids and everyone would pair off to play card games, or read, or catch up on paperwork. Whatever you ended up doing, you'd try to avoid going outside at all costs, where the paths had turned to sludge and the few lights barely cut through the early evening gloom.

And you _definitely_ wouldn't sacrifice your raincoat because you didn't have anything at home to cover the grocery bags, hoping to trick yourself into believing everything would be fine.

Qrow cursed to himself, trying to adjust his grip by shifting the bags around without exposing them to the downpour. His clothes were already completely soaked through, and he could feel his boots sticking with each step he took through the muck, but at least he could see Tai's cottage in the distance. He was almost there…

Finally he reached the cover of the shallow overhang at the front door. He considered trying to knock, but the bags in his hands were too awkward for that. Figuring the door was probably unlocked anyway, he gave it a rough shove with his shoulder.

Tai looked up from the kitchen area as Qrow stumbled into the cottage. His eyebrows rose just slightly before his face returned to the melancholy that had become the norm these past few months. He turned back to the stove and started stirring again.

"I brought groceries," Qrow said, deadpan, setting the bags down just past the doormat. He spotted a towel someone had left on the coat rack—Summer, probably—and grabbed it, wiping at his face.

Summer came out of the downstairs bedroom holding Yang, bouncing her up and down in an attempt to keep her entertained. It didn't seem to be working so well; while the baby wasn't crying, she still had an unhappy look on her face. Summer turned towards Qrow and he saw the distant exhaustion in her body and her eyes.

"I'll take her," said Tai abruptly. His voice still lacked enthusiasm, but when Summer handed Yang over the baby relaxed almost immediately. Tai, too, seemed to be drawn a little more back to the present.

Without a word Summer turned and went over to the couch, and Qrow saw that it was made up as a bed, just like the last time he was here. She grabbed some spare clothes that were obviously hers and headed straight back into Tai's bedroom, emerging once more with a laundry basket.

Qrow grimaced. After Raven had left, he and Summer had agreed to work together to support Tai; as close as the two women had been, it still wasn't the same as how Tai felt about Raven. On top of that, with a baby just barely old enough to crawl Tai needed all the household help he could get. Neither Summer nor Qrow was going to let little Yang go uncared for.

But it hadn't quite worked out that way. With Raven gone, Ozpin had pressed Qrow to take on more and more reconnaissance. Plans could change down the line, but right now it was imperative that they complete the operations already in progress. That's what the headmaster had told him, anyway.

By contrast, or maybe to make up for the increased load on Qrow, the special assignments for Summer had stopped entirely for the time being, and of course she wasn't signing their "team" of three up for any regular missions. So in practice it was Summer who was over here helping Tai—nearly every day, she had said. Enough that she slept over on the couch several nights a week so that she could help out in the morning.

Qrow felt guilty for not being able to do more, especially since he could imagine how much Summer had to be hurting as well. Bringing over groceries whenever he could was little more than a gesture.

"Qrow, could you come stir this?" Tai asked. No _hello,_ no _thanks for the groceries._ Qrow wasn't upset; he was worried. Logically he knew that people managed to recover from these things, and that it took different amounts of time for different people, but that was little comfort in the face of a reality that offered no guarantees for the future.

He took a quick swig from the flask he had started carrying, then crossed the long living room and stepped around the dining table to join Tai at the stove, dutifully picking up a wooden spoon to stir the contents of the pan. "You know," he mused deliberately, "when most people make an 'easy home-cooked meal', risotto's not what they're talking about."

Tai stared at him for a moment, then went back to focusing on Yang, rocking her up and down as Summer had tried to do before. With one arm he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of formula, then used a quick flash of his Aura to heat it up. Qrow snorted, and Tai looked back at him. The man didn't say anything, but those tired eyes held a faint hint of challenge.

Qrow's mouth quirked upward. "I hadn't you seen do that before," he explained. "…Sure is convenient."

Tai relaxed, ever so slightly. "I only thought of it a week ago," he admitted, sounding a little bit more like the Tai they were used to. "I couldn't believe I didn't realize it sooner. And she likes it too." He nodded down at the baby held against his chest, and Qrow saw her head turn towards her father's hand.

"Maybe she's learned it means it's time to eat," Qrow offered.

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Tai's face closed up again, and he stepped up to Qrow. Qrow blinked, wondering what was going on, and before he knew it he was holding Yang in one arm and the bottle in the other. "What do I, ah…"

"Just keep her up, and make sure the bottle's tilted so she can drink," Tai instructed, already turning back to the stove.

Awkwardly Qrow did as he was told. It wasn't the first time he had held Yang, of course, but somehow it still wasn't natural, and it _was_ his first time feeding her. For her part, Yang continued to eye him with some kind of guarded suspicion, even as she reached for the bottle with her tiny hands.

"You and me both, kid," said Qrow, angling the bottle up a little more.

It occurred to him that as much as people said they could see parents' features in their kids, he couldn't see any link between his sister and the pudgy baby in front of him—nor any resemblance with Tai, for that matter, save the wisps of blond hair. The thought gave him some sort of grim satisfaction, as if Raven had tried and failed to leave behind this reminder of her presence.

The bottle empty, Yang turned slightly in Qrow's arm, settling into his chest the same way she had leaned against Tai earlier. Qrow froze for a moment, then relaxed and smiled down at the baby.

Summer came back into the living room, finished with the laundry for the time being, and smiled too when she saw Qrow holding Yang. Her expression was a bit wistful, and Qrow felt a pang of guilt at the fact that Summer was putting in all this time taking care of the two Xiao Longs and yet _he_ was the one in this peaceful position with Yang.

"Let's put her to sleep," Summer murmured, and Qrow nodded. They stepped into Tai's bedroom, where the crib stood against the wall opposite the foot of the bed.

"How is he holding up?" Qrow asked quietly. He set Yang down as gently as he could.

Summer shook her head. "It's not good," she admitted bluntly. "He's still barely left the house, and…well, you saw how much he's talking these days." She took a breath and looked down at the crib. "I think he's putting all his efforts into taking care of Yang, but when there's a moment of quiet he just…sits."

"I guess he's…" Qrow trailed off, looking at the bed. Easily wide enough for two, but clearly only one side was being used. Tai was definitely taking Raven's absence worse than he and Summer were, but it didn't feel right to blame him for it.

After all, the person whose fault it was wasn't here to answer for her actions.

Summer's thoughts had apparently gone in a different direction. "He's definitely improving, though—at least, I think he is." She smiled at Qrow again. "It might not seem like much, but those few sentences back there are a real step forward. I mean, he hasn't had the energy for conversation much these days, but for a little bit there he sounded like normal."

"Progress." Qrow thought back and realized Summer was right. That didn't make it any easier, but…no, actually, it _did_ make it a little easier.

He sighed and looked at her again. "And how are _you_ doing?"

Summer's smile turned sad, and she paused before starting to speak. "I miss her," she said candidly. "I miss our banter, our hair-brushing sessions, our Scroll chats. I miss the condescending look she'd give me when she thought I was being naïve. I miss her pleased laugh when one of us managed to surprise her. We were close, Qrow." She took a slow breath. "Next to that, staying over on Tai's couch for a few weeks doesn't seem too important. And Yang is cute when she's not being a little brat."

Qrow laughed quietly. _Thank you, Summer._

"Glad to hear it," he said instead. He heard Tai snap the stove off in the other room, then a scrape of metal as the pan was taken off the burner. "Guess we'd better get back out there."

Summer suddenly jumped forward, clinging to him in a quick, desperate hug. Qrow squeezed back around her small shoulders. The two of them stayed like that for only a second or two before Summer pulled back, but Qrow hoped it would help.

They emerged from the room to find Tai spooning scoops of risotto onto plates at the table. For a moment Qrow could imagine he was visiting a typical Vale household, a quiet family of three-with-baby sitting down to dinner together. But as they sat down, the empty fourth chair across the table kept them grounded in reality, reminding them that they were still missing someone.


	9. Interlude II

_"So you're saying I'm like your sister."_

 _"I wouldn't say_ anyone's _like my sister."_

 _"Then why are you telling me all this?"_

 _"Believe me, I'm beginning to wonder."_

 _"…"_

 _"Okay. Believe it or not, I'm not trying to…_ compare _you to her. In fact, it's not really about her at all."_

 _"It sure sounds like it is. You started this story with her, and she's the one who left. But I'm doing it to protect them."_

 _"I understand. Believe me, I do. But I think you're reading more into it than I'm actually saying."_

 _"If it's not about that then what?"_

 _"You'll have to keep listening. The story's not over."_


	10. Patch: Part I

Qrow headed down the street, alternately scanning the building numbers and checking the address written on the scrap paper in his hand. He felt drained, having returned from his latest mission just that morning, but he wasn't going to pass up the chance to see Tai and Summer as soon as possible. And today, that meant…

He stopped in front of a fenced-off lot, hearing the shouts of children just beyond the barrier. The sign on the gate read "PUBLIC POOL – SOUTHEAST VALE", and in smaller letters "Open from 11 AM to sunset". Qrow breathed in the warm afternoon air, then strode inside.

"Qrow!" he heard Tai call. Glancing to his right, he saw his teammate standing in the shallow end of the pool, baby Yang bobbing in front of him wearing an oversized ring floater.

Qrow stepped over to the edge of the water and squatted down. "Hey, how's my little niece doing?" he said, meeting Yang's eyes.

Yang gave him that familiar suspicious look, then went back to gleefully smacking her hands against the surface of the water. Qrow shook his head. "You were right, Tai. She's a natural."

"And it's only her second time. Can you believe it?" Tai grinned up at his teammate. "At this rate she'll learn to swim before she can walk."

Not quite knowing what to say to that, Qrow sat back on his heels and looked around. The pool wasn't deep—only up to 5 feet, meaning even Summer could touch the bottom if she wanted—and it wasn't long enough to swim laps in. Consequently, pretty much everyone here was part of a family, with kids around 7 or 8 dominating the water. Parents and grandparents reclined on deck chairs, or rested on towels spread out on the neatly-trimmed lawn on the the other side of the pool. A bored lifeguard completed the scene.

"Haven't seen anything so wholesome in weeks," he commented sardonically.

Tai gave him an exasperated look. "Oh, you—"

Whatever else he might have said was cut off by a splash right next to them as something—someone—fell into the water. Both Qrow and Tai looked up suddenly, getting ready to jump into the action if the unlucky kid needed help. There was a tense moment where the bubbles from the impact obscured whatever might be happening underwater.

Fortunately, the kid broke the surface a moment later, squealing with dismay at their sodden clothing. Qrow watched them awkwardly dog-paddle towards the steps, then shot Tai a guilty look. Tai's face hardened as he understood what his teammate was implying.

"It might be best if you go wait with Summer," he said, glancing down at Yang. His tone wasn't upset, but it wasn't really a suggestion either.

Qrow exhaled. "Yeah." He straightened up and headed for the lawn area.

Summer was sitting on a white towel with little sun designs along the edges, wearing a T-shirt and shorts and sunglasses that were way too big for her face. It was a dramatic contrast to her usual combat gear, but it made her look relaxed in a way that was rare for any Hunter. She waved when she spotted Qrow approaching, then took off the sunglasses and set them on top of the hardcover book at her side.

"How're things?" Qrow asked. He lifted the bottom of his cloak and carefully sat down next to Summer's towel.

His teammate stifled a laugh. "You look ridiculous in that," she said, giving him a teasing look.

"Don't mess with what works," Qrow quipped back. She was right, of course; his usual Huntsman attire was definitely out of place among the swimsuits and casual wear he saw all around them. His wardrobe was pretty limited these days, though. Sometimes it felt like he didn't even own any other clothes.

He leaned over a bit to bump his shoulder against hers. "Seriously. How're things?" He punctuated the question with a nod in Tai's direction.

Summer looked back towards the pool. "Things are…good," she answered, choosing her words delicately. "I mean, you saw, he's out and talking. He's in the present pretty much all the time, now, and he even went in for that interview at Signal."

"That's good to hear," Qrow said, feeling a little of the long-carried tension slip away.

"It's pretty much only a problem when it comes to missions," Summer continued. Then she winced. "No, to be honest that's as much me as it is him. I mean, it's not like we never switched off, or split up, but I can't imagine going on a real team mission without her around."

"I know what you mean," Qrow said quietly.

Summer shook her head. "Professor Ozpin says it's been long enough, though. With or without my 'secret weapon'"—she made air quotes with both hands—"I'm needed. One way or another, I'll be back out there soon."

"And how does Tai feel about that?"

Summer grimaced. "Not happy, but he didn't try to stop me at all. I think it just came naturally that it's over for him and not for me. Us." She raised an eyebrow. "How do _you_ feel about it, Qrow?"

Qrow blew out a breath. "Worried, like I am when any of my friends take on missions. But what I think about it doesn't matter." He pursed his lips, then nodded. "Stay safe. I'll join you when I can."

"Of course." There was a moment of silence, then Summer smiled sadly. "In our own ways, we've all been paired with her."

Qrow knew what she meant. He and his sister growing up, Summer and her partner by assignment at Beacon. And Tai…

"But we talk about it now," Summer continued. Qrow raised his eyebrows, even though she was still looking away. "Tai and I. When it's bad, he'll talk to me about it."

A little more of the tension drained from his shoulders, and he sighed. "Thank you, Summer," he said quietly.

"Hm?" His friend turned towards him, a curious look on her face.

"For being there," Qrow explained. "For helping him like this. For…" He waved a hand, unable to put it into words. "Even if I _was_ able to be here, I wouldn't have been able to help him like you have."

"Don't say that, Qrow." She patted his arm. "You'd do the same, I know."

Unable to respond, Qrow fell silent. Yes, he would try to help, but he didn't have Summer's empathy or persistence or way with words. But it was almost a fault of hers, that she always saw the good in people and not their flaws.

He turned back to watch Tai, who was now tossing Yang up in the air and catching her just above the waterline. To a casual observer, there'd be no trace of the man who had barely been able to leave the house for weeks. That man wasn't gone, but he was no longer the one in control.

Qrow glanced to the side and saw that Summer was also watching Tai. He noticed that her gaze now held a different quality, a rapt attention as she watched their teammate's shirtless, toned body—

"Hey," he said, unable to keep from smirking. "You're staring."

Summer whipped her head around, blushing furiously. She opened her mouth for some kind of retort, then closed it again and buried her face in her hands. "Fine," she said, sound muffled a bit. "My friend is hot. I probably still have a bit of a crush on him. That's not why I'm doing this, but I can't deny it's true."

Qrow frowned but didn't say anything. As honest as Summer usually was with herself, that probably wasn't the whole truth.

Tai was finally climbing out of the pool, cradling Yang and her flotation ring awkwardly in his arms. Qrow waved and Summer looked up, hastily smoothing her hair back into place. They watched their teammate step carefully past the lifeguard chair to join them on the grass.

"What were you two talking about?" Tai asked. He set Yang down on the towel and began removing her floats.

"Nothing," the two of them said together, but Qrow was grinning as he said it.

Tai rolled his eyes. "So, me, then. Got it."

"Of course," Qrow responded, mock-grousing. "No one ever wants to talk about me anymore."

"Okay, how'd your last mission go?" Tai asked, playing along.

"I can't tell you that; it's classified," Qrow answered promptly.

"Well, there you go." Tai sat back, satisfied, and began to towel Yang off.

"Oh, you two." Summer looked back and forth indulgently. "I missed this, you know."

Tai paused in his ministrations to point a finger at Qrow. "Hey, don't say that or he'll be insufferable every time."

"Joke's on you," Qrow fired back. "I'm always insufferable."

Summer was giggling, and Yang was looking around at all of them, very confused, before finally reaching up for her father. "Okay, okay," Tai said, picking the baby up and setting her in his lap as he sat cross-legged on the grass.

Summer glanced back and forth quickly, then took a breath. "I hope Raven's missing it too," she said with a bit of a smirk that was about as mean-hearted as Summer could get. "She deserves it."

Qrow glanced at her in shock, but Tai didn't even flinch. "If she ever does come back," the blond man said fiercely, "she's going to pay for what she what she did to this family."

And he was staring directly at Summer when he said it.

Qrow and Summer both froze, slowly turning to look at Tai. Their teammate frowned. "What?" he said, sounding annoyed. "Are we past the 'don't mention it' stage or not—" He cut himself off as he realized what he had done, and Qrow began to laugh.

"I knew it!" he said triumphantly. "'This family'…I knew you'd both be feeling this way."

"It's not like it was…inevitable!" Summer said indignantly, blushing again. "Just because I…well, that doesn't matter!"

But Tai was looking at Summer with something like dawning hope. "You…have feelings for me?"

Summer's blush deepened. She looked back at him, but didn't say anything.

Tai continued, absently bouncing the baby in his lap. "I thought I was just lonely at first. That it was all because I missed her. And I'm not gonna lie, I _do_ miss her, but…" He took a breath. "I can't imagine living without you, Summer. After these last few months, I can't imagine living without you."

Summer made a high-pitched "eep". Her hands shot to her mouth.

Tai's expression clouded. "I'm sorry. That's _weird,_ you were just trying to help, and now I've…" He turned to Qrow, at a loss. "Qrow…?"

"No!" Summer burst out. "You haven't, it's just—" She put her hands to her temples and shook her head repeatedly.

"Look at you two," Qrow said roughly. "Are you gonna keep dancing around it, or are you gonna do what's right?"

They both looked at him. Summer steeled herself first. "Tai?" she asked, in as steady a voice as she could manage.

Tai set his jaw. "Summer," he responded. "Will you move in with me?"

Summer laughed weakly, relieved. "Yes," she said, and leaned forward to grab Tai's hand. "Yes, I will."

"And get the hell out of that shack you're in now," Qrow put in irreverently. "Get some place that's _yours."_ Summer smacked his arm with her free hand.

They sat like that a bit longer, and Qrow tried to fix the moment in his mind. They might not be Team STRQ anymore, but the three of them were still a team. Still a family. Maybe they really could move forward.

Then Yang yawned, and Summer laughed, and Tai rolled his shoulders back to loosen them out. "What do you say," he offered, "should we head home?" He gave Summer a shy grin.

Summer smiled back. "Let's go home."

"Get a room, you two," Qrow couldn't resist saying, and Summer hit him again.

As they packed up their belongings, Qrow saw Tai's smile drop and a sad look come into his eyes. And somehow that was enough to breach the wall in Qrow's own mind as well. He was out here alone, away from the family who had raised him. Most likely never to return.

And he missed his sister. Their whole lives they'd never been apart more than a week. He missed her he missed her he missed her.

He felt a hand, then, gentle on his arm, and looked down to see Summer reaching out to both him and Tai. She took a deep breath, a sad expression in her eyes.

"It's okay," she said. "I miss her too."


	11. Patch: Part II

She spotted him through the window as he strode up the path and hurried outside, her face breaking into a smile. "Qrow!" she called, pulling her cloak tighter around her against the brisk spring breeze.

They met at the edge of the clearing and Summer gave Qrow a firm hug, made only a little awkward by the bulge in her belly. Qrow put his arms around her shoulders and squeezed back.

"It's good to see you," Summer said when they broke apart, in that particular sincere tone of hers that assured that she meant it.

"I was just here a few weeks ago!" Qrow teased.

"And it was good to see you then, too," she replied with a grin. "Besides, when you used to spend every day with someone, three weeks is a long time."

They began walking back up the path, giving Qrow a better view of the clearing in the forest where his former teammates now lived. "I like what you've done with the place," he said, looking up at the freshly painted wooden house. He smirked. "I assume Tai had nothing to do with it."

Summer laughed. "I forbade him from doing any of the construction work himself. This is all from the carpenters and housemakers in the village." She swept a hand past the new addition to the second story, a large room that was going to become the nursery. "But he's made up for it all in the garden," she continued, gesturing to the multiple planters full of dark soil. Qrow thought he could see little green shoots already poking up, bright spots against the black. "Turns out he's got quite the green thumb."

"Well, well," Qrow said drolly. "I never would have guessed. I'd have thought the only green thumb you'd see from Tai is if he whacked his hand with a hammer."

"All right, enough," chided Summer as she pushed the door open. "It's not fair when he's not here to defend himself."

Qrow followed her inside and looked around the living room. No furniture and bare walls, but already there were a few photographs resting in their frames on the mantle of the fireplace. He stepped over to take a look, and picked up the one that was most familiar: the photo of the four of them in their second year at Beacon. Demure Summer, laid-back Tai, ever-ready Raven, and a younger, confident Qrow. A Qrow who had _possibly_ been trying a little too hard to look cool.

The presence of his sister sent a brief rush of bitterness through his mind. Even with all of her so-called reasons, how could she do this to them, expecting the other three to clean up the mess? Had she really expected Summer to come in and mother Raven's own daughter? It had been more than a year by now.

At the same time, a quite wisp of loneliness coiled through his stomach, knowing he had made his own choice to stay, just as his sister had decided to go.

But even with that marred accent on his mood, his grip on the frame was light enough. The photograph was still a snapshot of a positive time, and that was worth keeping. Those were Summer's words, even as she had stepped in to take on Raven's roles as well as her own. He still kept his own copy of the photo in the inside pocket of his jacket.

Summer poked her head out of the kitchen. "I'd offer to get you something to drink, but we're not exactly well-stocked at the moment. Given that we're still moving in and all."

"A glass of water would be great," Qrow replied. He set the photograph back on the mantle and strode over to the kitchen, taking in the empty chairs and lack of a table. "Where is Tai, anyway?"

"He took Yang to the playground," Summer explained. "They'll be back for dinner." She handed Qrow his water and he drained half of it before leaning back against the counter. "She's not really old enough to do much on her own yet, but she loves being around the other kids." She smiled fondly down at her belly. "Soon she'll have a little playmate at home, too."

Qrow couldn't help but smile as well. It was what you did: smile at your friends who were happy to be pregnant.

He cleared his throat. "I didn't get to ask last time, but you've picked names by now, right?"

"Hong Xiao Long for a boy," Summer answered, still looking downward. "Ruby Rose if it's a girl."

"Ruby Rose, huh?" Qrow tried out the name. "Has a nice ring to it."

Summer looked back up and grinned cheekily. "Why, thank you."

There was a lull in the conversation, and Qrow looked out the window. The Rose - Xiao Long house was set a little ways into the forest, which had greened brilliantly after its winter slumber. The afternoon sun shone right through the kitchen window, illuminating a patch of floor. Even without furniture, Qrow could feel the difference between this place and his old apartment in Vale. This was a home.

"Classes at Signal start up again soon, don't they?" Summer said into his thoughts.

"Uggh," Qrow mock-groaned. Summer gave him a look. "I still can't believe Tai talked me into that."

"Aw, come on," she countered. "You're not even gonna be a full-time teacher. You just have that elective class on Advanced Weapon Construction."

Qrow took another swallow of water. "I don't know how he does it," he said, letting admiration into his tone. "He doesn't just keep his kids in line; he actually manages to teach them something. And they like him."

"At least with Tai at Signal I know he'll be safe…"

Qrow looked over. A shadow had fallen across Summer's face.

"It's been well-established," he said, trying to gentle his tone. "A group of four is much more effective than two or three. Oz won't be sending us on any of the really dangerous missions."

But Summer just looked at him with leaden eyes. Leaden _silver_ eyes. And Qrow sighed and looked away, because even without Raven Team STRQ was special. Had started special, because of its leader's nascent abilities, and then became even more so with his and Raven's…gift.

Tai was the only one of them who had the chance of living a normal life, and in some sense he had taken that option by becoming a teacher. But Tai would never walk away from them. From any of them.

"You know, you're right," Summer said, her tone almost back to normal. "Tai _is_ great with kids. He can deal with the teenagers at Signal, and he comes home to take care of Yang. He's already such a great father, and I know he'll continue to be."

"It's a skill I've never had," Qrow agreed. The best he could do was treat the kids he worked with as adults, but that wasn't quite the same as what Tai did. "It's like he can recognize where he is and where the kids are and then bridge that gap anyway. And he's been able to do it for every age group I've seen."

"It's a skill _I've_ never had!" Summer exclaimed, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. "I'd never really thought about being a mother. I mean, it wasn't how I expected my life to go when I was in school. Or at least not yet." She looked down at her belly once more. "And now there's nothing I want to be more in this world."

For a moment there was a look of peace on her face. Then, suddenly, it crumpled, and with a sudden sob Summer threw her hands to her eyes. Qrow was there in an instant, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her to one of the chairs. "Whoa, hey, whoa, Summer. What's wrong?"

She sniffed, and for a moment Qrow saw the anxious 18-year-old he had met in the first week of classes at Beacon. "It's just…it's just—" She took a shuddering breath. "I'm so _happy,_ Qrow. I feel like I've gotten everything I could ask for. How can I feel that when she _left_ us? How can I be happy like this when I know Tai still misses her, and yet I don't feel even a bit of jealousy because _I loved her too."_ She laughed through the tears. "She was a brash, arrogant firebrand, and somehow she became my best friend. And now…I know she was the one who left, I know, but she was suffering, Tai is suffering, _you're_ suffering, and here I am, so happy in a messed-up world. Isn't that…isn't that…"

She finally ran out of words and buried her face in her hands again. Qrow tried to be reassuring as he held her shoulder tight. "That's why we do it, Summer," he said as gently as he could. "That's why we become Huntresses and Huntsmen, to make the world a safe place for people to live their lives and be happy. And that applies to us as well. Trust me, there's nothing that does better for me than seeing you happy, and seeing how you make Tai happy."

He wasn't even thinking about how his younger self would have scoffed at the romanticized description of Hunters. Somewhere along the way it had become true for him as well.

"And Yang," Summer went on. "How can I just…step in like this? What right do I have to call myself her mother?"

Qrow twitched, then immediately regretted it when he felt Summer tense as well. "That's something for you and Tai to work out," he said carefully. "But…maybe think of it this way. You do know why our surname is 'Branwen'?"

Summer lifted her head slightly and gave a tiny nod. "She told me once. It's because you're all part of the tribe, and raised by the tribe, and not just by your parents."

Qrow felt another twinge of loneliness, but pushed it aside. This was about Summer. He nodded in confirmation. "Raven may have given birth to Yang, but the ones who are raising her are you and Tai. And she will love you." He stopped and thought about it. "Actually, I'm sure she already does."

The tension slowly drained from Summer's shoulders, and she wiped her eyes one more time. Qrow lowered his arm, relieved. It seemed for once he had managed to say the right thing.

"You're going to be a great uncle," Summer murmured. Qrow's eyebrows shot up, and then he couldn't help breaking into a smile.


	12. Patch: Part III

He dove into the clearing, then winged his way over to a branch at the edge of the forest. It wasn't his best flying, but today, of all days, he couldn't care less. His mind was a shifting, angry white haze that left him drained yet unable to rest.

Shaking his head, he hopped off the branch and shifted back in midair, a maneuver he'd performed countless times. Today, though, that familiar disorientation and pins-and-needles sensation were enough to make him stumble, bringing him to his knees.

 _Just my luck,_ some part of his brain thought before laughing wildly.

He gritted his teeth and got to his feet, putting one hand against the tree for stability, then looked up at the house in front of him. The light in the living room was on, as was the one in the girls' room upstairs, despite being well past what most people would call "evening". The sky had almost darkened to a full night's black, stars shining past the wispy clouds.

By now Oz or someone would have given Tai the news. Strictly speaking, Qrow didn't have to be here. But…

He stood there for what felt like hours, unable to move forward. Unable to step up to the door, and knock, and tell his last remaining teammate that Summer was never was coming back. But as he stood there, the door swung open anyway, and from thirty feet away he saw Tai's silhouette slowly lift a hand.

Qrow squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and trudged up to the house. Tai's features came into focus: a stiff face with downturned mouth, shoulders bent in with mental pressure, hair a mess, hands shaking slightly. He looked how Qrow felt.

For a moment the two men just stood there looking at each other, feeling the awful truth in the air around them. Then Qrow collapsed forward, throwing his arms around the other man's body with his fists held tight against Tai's back. Summer had always been the strong one; Summer had always put herself out there for her team. Summer had always known what to do, and right now Qrow _didn't know what to do._ He knew that it was supposed to be him comforting Tai, and he could feel Tai's own desperation, but right now the white haze had taken over.

"It's true, then," Tai said in a low, cracked voice.

The words brushed past, but the tone of voice penetrated the blank of Qrow's conscious thoughts to set off alarm bells at the back of his mind. It was the voice of a Tai on the edge of going nearly non-verbal again, the echo of pain and loss from years ago. Only this time there was no solace, however small, in _at least she's still out there; at least she's still alive._

"I couldn't save her," Qrow said. It was supposed to be an anguished cry, but his voice came out barely above a whisper. "I couldn't save her, Tai."

And for a while the two men just stood there in their misery, neither able to offer comfort to the other.

Eventually they made it to the couch, slumping down side by side and staring at the floor. It was a few moments before either of them moved, then Tai raised his head to glance at his former teammate. "You want a drink?"

By habit Qrow opened his mouth to say yes, but the thought suddenly made his stomach churn uncomfortably. "No," he rasped instead. "Not tonight."

Tai nodded and made no move to get up.

"You're not either?" Qrow asked.

Tai grimaced bitterly. "Trust me, I want one. But I need to take the girls to school tomorrow."

"Oh." _Right._

There was a pause, and then Tai continued, raising his voice noticeably. "And speaking of the girls…"

Qrow heard a tiny gasp, and twisted in his seat to see Yang peering out from the top of the staircase wearing her dragon pajamas. Just behind her was tiny Ruby in her puppy onesie, holding on tightly to her sister's hand.

"It's past your bedtime," Tai called, and Qrow was surprised by how _normal_ he was able to make it sound, how Tai still clung to the responsibility of being a father even in his suffering.

Yang wrapped her free hand around the top bannister, and Qrow saw the expression on her face. She looked like she was about to cry. "It's true, then?" she asked, in what sounded like as brave a voice as the little girl could manage.

Those words, the same as her father's, threatened to put Qrow over the edge again. Tai also looked stunned; he opened his mouth and then closed it without saying anything.

Qrow knew that Tai's first inclination was to protect his daughters from harmful information. The three of them had been careful not to tell the girls how dangerous it was being an active Hunter, mainly by avoiding any details about missions while in the Rose - Xiao Long home. Raven's name was also a forbidden word. But there was no way to paper over this, no casual adult omission or parental evasion. And Yang, young as she was, was a smart enough kid to guess what that moment of hesitation signified, though what the girl had figured out already Qrow couldn't be certain.

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Tai said eventually, a little bit of defeat slipping into his voice. "Please go back to bed."

"But—"

"Go to bed, Yang," Tai interrupted forcefully, half-standing up from the couch. Ruby squeaked in surprise, shrinking further behind her sister. Yang pulled back a little too, but her hand was still on the bannister. The expression on her face made it clear that she was obeying, not agreeing.

Seeing this, Tai sighed. "I don't want you to hear the next part," he said, and now he was back to that tone of defeat.

Yang looked like she was about to protest again, then her eyes widened. A tiny part of Qrow's heart that hadn't already been given over to despair joined the rest, seeing how the girl was being forced all of a sudden to grow up.

"Come on, Ruby," said Yang, and the two of them disappeared back up the staircase. Silence fell over the living room once more.

"Big sister to the end," Qrow said inanely, looking at his former teammate.

Tai lowered himself back into the couch, then pressed his hands against his face. "I don't know if I can, I don't know if I can…" he muttered to himself, and again Qrow was struck with a combined sense of helplessness and self-loathing, because this was the part where he reached out and told Tai he'd make it through, that they were going to be okay, but they _weren't._

Instead he reached into his pack and pulled out a crumpled parcel, white and reddish-brown. He held it out and after a moment Tai took it, shaking it out.

Summer's cloak.

Tai's eyes began to pool with tears, and he handed the cloak back to Qrow. "I have to know," he said hoarsely. "How did it happen."

The images burst back into Qrow's mind, and his breath caught. He took a slow breath and began folding up the cloak again. "I was scouting. Looking for the alpha, or anything that might be a lair. Summer was back at the village." _Bright blue sky. Open plains._ "It was maybe 2 in the afternoon."

He could feel Tai's disbelief, the sense of _who cares what time it was,_ and plowed on. "She called me. They'd spotted them coming from the east, when I had gone southwest. I flew back as fast as I could." He set the cloak down on the coffee table.

 _Smoke rising. Buildings, collapsed. And—_

"They had burrowed under the town, Tai." The white haze was burning hot again. "Grimm don't do that on their own, not across packs. It had to be _her_ influence."

Tai's mouth was a thin, hard line. He was the only one of the four of them who had never quite accepted Ozpin's stories, never quite seen the coordination in their monstrous foes that indicated the hand of a master. But he would also never contradict Summer, and Summer knew that that master was real.

"The town was evacuating," Qrow continued. "What else could they do? And Summer…was buying time."

 _A dot of white whirling through the black, even as people poured out the other end of the village. He beat his wings harder, harder…he_ had _to make it…_

The anger disappeared, leaving despair in its place.

"And then she stumbled."

 _The dot was eclipsed. For a moment he thought all was lost. Two moments. Three._

 _Then a tattered white streak appeared._

Qrow looked at Tai. The other man's eyes were streaming with silent tears now, and at the sight Qrow felt his own weakly-held composure slipping away. "We all talk about one unlucky hit," he went on raggedly. "But you and I both know that's not what it's really like, most of the time. She kept getting back up."

 _She kept getting knocked down. Again. And again._

"I couldn't keep them off her," he finished, voice dwindling to almost a whisper. "I tried, but it was like they were drawn to her. I couldn't save her."

Tai was wiping his face over and over. "No, no, no…" he mouthed, shaking his head.

Qrow wished he could cry too, if only to have some kind of physical release. Somewhere growing up he had lost the ability; somewhere in always trying to be the strongest. Now he had no way to let out the guilt and despair that once again threatened to overwhelm him. The white haze beat strongly, a seething madness ready to drag him down.

Unable to bear it, he smashed his hand down on the coffee table next to Summer's cloak. "It's my fault!" he ground out. "I couldn't save her. Hell, I made things worse just by being there. If it weren't for me _—"_ He broke off as he saw Tai's expression, desperate, and…compassionate? _"How can you look at me like that?"_

Tai was still shaking his head, but the gesture was now deliberate, frantic but firm. "You would have saved her, Qrow. You tried."

"How can you say that?" Qrow cried. "It's my fault!"

Tai shook his head once more and reached out to take Qrow by the shoulders. His hands trembled, and in his face Qrow saw the man who had lost his love before, a man who was losing his love for the second time. And…

"I can't, I can't, I," Tai tried to say.

"It's my fault," Qrow said bitterly, unable to meet Tai's gaze.

"You're all I have."

Qrow jerked upward. Tai's voice was pleading, a last effort to reach out from his own despair.

"You're all I have left, Qrow. You're all I have left."


	13. Epilogue

_"And then what happened?"_

 _"Well. You know the rest. Tai tried to be there for his kids, but he had to keep working at Signal. Yang had to grow up fast. Two years later she found the cottage where Tai and Raven had lived. She told you that story, didn't she?"_

 _"…Yeah."_

 _"That was probably the last straw for Tai and me. He didn't want his daughters to become Huntresses. I wanted to give them what they needed to protect themselves, especially if he was just going to leave them like that. Gotta give him credit, though: he was as supportive as could be when they both finally enrolled in Signal. Once Yang was there there was no chance Ruby wouldn't follow. The rest is history."_

 _"And what about you?"_

 _"Me?"_

 _"Yeah. What happened to you after…"_

 _"After Summer died. Yeah. Well, Tai and I don't talk much anymore. I stopped teaching not too long after, too. Came out of 'retirement' for a year when Ruby was there, but…"_

 _"And you've still been on missions for Professor Ozpin."_

 _"…Yeah. Once you've seen what I've seen, you don't walk away."_

 _"…"_

 _"Tomorrow you're gonna have to make a choice."_

 _"…I know."_

 _"I'm not gonna tell you to stay in Vale, though. As someone who's had to make a lot of choices in the past…sometimes you_ can _change your mind, later."_

 _"…Yeah. I know. …Can I ask you something?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"Do you…love him?"_

 _A wry smile. "He's all I have left."_

 _"Then don't you think you should tell him?"_

 _"Glass houses, kid."_

 _"…I know. But I hope they already know too."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"…Thank you. For helping me tonight."_

 _"Like I said, I look after my girls. And their friends."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"You don't owe me anything for this, by the way. We can pretend this whole conversation never happened, if that's what you want."_

 _"Yeah. Okay." She smiled too._

 _"I'm gonna go get some fresh air."_

Qrow stepped outside, feeling the melancholy swirl around in his mind. He sighed. Telling the story was cathartic in a way, even dumping it on the poor ex-White-Fang kid with no connection to Team STRQ, but it wasn't a _happy_ story. It didn't end with a moral or a purpose or a burden lifted. It just…continued.

"You left out a part."

The voice came from behind him. "Wasn't my secret to tell," he answered before turning around.

Raven stood there, wearing her usual red and black, and with that Branwen Grimm mask still covering her face. "'He's all I have left'?" she repeated. Her tone was disdainful, but Qrow thought he caught a bit of sadness underneath. Or maybe it was his imagination.

"Nice of you to drop by," he said dryly, deciding to ignore her gibe.

She lowered her head slightly. "Tai knows, doesn't he?"

A quiet, harsh laugh escaped Qrow's mouth. He understood exactly what she meant. "I never told him. I wasn't sure how he'd take it. But yeah. I think he knows we still talk."

Raven stared for a moment, impassive through the mask, then nodded. "Okay," she said softly, before straightening up. Her tone shifted. "Beacon has fallen."

 _"It's all right. I gotcha, kiddo. I gotcha."_

Qrow's face hardened, and he looked away.

"You still have a choice, brother. Sometimes you _can_ change your mind, later."

"You came to see me, but not your own daughter?" he shot back. "The one who was hurt in the attack?"

He heard the flutter of wings, then silence.

Qrow Branwen was alone once more.

* * *

 _Final Author's Note: As noted in the summary, the seed of this story came from seeing all the Flown North (Summer / Qrow) and dad!Qrow stories on both FF-net and AO3. At the time, I couldn't help but thinking how much_ less interesting _that was as a story. Two romantic pairings in a team of four? Sure, whatever. But, half-sisters where the two parents not in common were_ on a team together? _How does that even happen? How is everybody okay with this?_

"He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since." _(from "Burning the Candle" in Volume 2)_

 _That was the seed of this story, and that's my grudge against dad!Qrow. It's just a less interesting setup, a story we've seen before._

 _That said, I quickly discovered one of the reasons_ why _people like Flown North so much: it turns out Summer and Qrow have great chemistry, even when they're just platonic friends. I'm not sure I can say the Summer / Qrow scenes were the most fun to write, because nearly all of this was fun to write, but they certainly had the most interesting dialogue. Or to put it another way, they had the most to say._

 _(I was sorry I couldn't get the "Short Stack" / "Stilts" nicknames in here, but it felt a little too intimate when no one else was using nicknames.)_

 _Even so, I wrote this before starting Volume 6, with the idea coming before I'd even started Volume 4. At this point we know very little of what Summer is like as an adult, rather than Yang and Ruby's impression of her as a mom; pretty much just the one line Raven says to Ruby in Volume 5. My characterization is half-Ruby, half-mom-of-the-group, which is definitely at least partially based on Shadowpool95's incorrect-strq-quotes Tumblr even though it's pro-Flown-North. (Again, she has her own STRQ story on AO3 called_ Invicta.)

 _What's funny about this story is that it mostly isn't about Qrow at all. I didn't realize that when I was writing it, but I think that came both from wanting to figure out how to get from Tai/Raven to Tai/Summer, plus the fact that we've seen the most of Qrow in canon out of all of STRQ. That doesn't mean there's not plenty to explore about Qrow, but, well, as mentioned in the summary, this was more about being "next to" the relationships between the rest of Team STRQ, and about how he connected with each of them. (The chapter titles in my Scrivener project have character names in them, e.g. "Vale: Part II (Raven)".)_

 _The framing device of having Qrow tell Blake the story was something I decided on pretty early on. I didn't know if it was going to lead to an actual moral for Blake or not, and it mostly didn't, but by the time I finished I liked the idea too much to give it up. (Also, there's no way Qrow didn't look into Blake's background when he heard Team RWBY was formed, with or without Ozpin's cooperation.)_

 _Shoutout to jin0uga for their repeated review comments. It really does encourage an author to write more!_

 _No next project in mind at this time, but I'll probably be back in the future. Knowing me, though, there's a good chance I'll jump to another fandom for the next one, so don't hold your breath. My previous "full-length" story (for_ Revolutionary Girl Utena) _was_ also _more than 15,000 words, and I really thought this one would be shorter…but it turns out that Team STRQ has some pretty good chemistry after all. I hope we see more of Tai and possibly Summer in canon._

 _Thank you for reading._


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